Programs & Costs
How Much Does Surrogacy Cost?
We can't put a price on parenthood, but when you pursue it with Circle, we can keep unexpected costs from getting in the way of your surrogacy journey. Our fixed-cost Journey Protection™ Program costs $189,500 and covers all agency fees, surrogate base compensation, legal fees, and insurance, with no surprise additions. This program covers all surrogacy-related expenses except for IVF and egg donor costs, which vary based on your personal circumstances.
Breaking Down the Costs of Your Surrogacy Journey
While important, surrogate compensation is only one of the costs to consider. Choosing to grow your family through surrogacy requires the expertise of many professionals, including fertility specialists, lawyers, psychologists, and social workers. Having a solid team of professionals to help you navigate this complex process — and an experienced agency to coordinate the journey — all contribute to the success and cost of becoming a parent through surrogacy.
Circle's program cost is fully fixed — no exclusions, no surprise additions. Your $189,500 program cost will go toward:
A surrogate's compensation ranges from $60,000 to $75,000+. This includes her base pay, which varies based on individual circumstances such as location and previous surrogate experience, and additional benefits and expenses related to her pregnancy, such as:
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Monthly payments for surrogate spending
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Child care
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Travel expenses and lost wages for the surrogate and a companion
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Fourth trimester (post-birth) care (flex spending, lost wages, or child care, reimbursement for milk pumping)
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Fees for a surrogacy agency range from $20,000 to $40,000, depending on the services included. Our agency fee covers the full coordination of your journey, including surrogate screening and matching, any necessary rematches, mental health support for both you and your surrogate, in-house escrow management, and all legal representation.
Working with a full-service agency like Circle means having support through every milestone and every question, from the initial consultation to your child's birth and beyond.
Intended parents are responsible for their surrogate's medical insurance for her pregnancy, which varies depending on the policy. Intended parents also purchase life insurance for their surrogate, generally for coverage of $250,000.
Once your baby is born, you are responsible for their medical coverage. Intended parents in the United States usually add their baby to their health insurance policy. If you live outside the U.S., our team can walk you through how to insure your baby.
Read more about the types of insurance needed for your surrogacy journey.
Potential surrogates should be screened to ensure they are physically and emotionally healthy, have realistic expectations, and have proper support. We include the costs of screening a surrogate — which, if paid separately, can be up to $4,000 — in our agency fee. Read more about our 3-step surrogate screening process.
Legal fees for surrogacy can range from $3,000 to $15,000. The legal process for surrogacy is complex. It requires lawyers with the expertise to navigate laws that vary between states and countries, and may be interpreted differently by judges. Lawyers help intended parents navigate their state's or country's laws and the surrogate's state laws.
These costs go toward the court process of establishing legal parentage, and they vary by state. They also include legal representation for your surrogate.
Each surrogacy journey is unique. Some involve additional services and costs, including:
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Egg donor costs can range from $30,000 to $60,000 (exclusive of IVF fees), depending on whether you choose fresh or frozen eggs. Circle's intended parents can pay their egg donor program costs to Circle and have the support of their journey coordination team every step of the way.
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IVF costs must be paid directly to your fertility clinic because your surrogacy agency does not pay them. IVF costs will vary by clinic, and we recommend speaking directly with your clinic about their specific fees.
Refer to our breakdown of surrogacy costs to learn more. -
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The Cost for Circle's Surrogacy Programs
We created the Journey Protection™ Program, with a fixed price of $189,500, to give intended parents the freedom to focus on building their families without financial stress and uncertainty. While many agencies will advertise all-inclusive programs, there are often hidden costs for unexpected moments, such as additional embryo transfers. At Circle, we truly mean it. Other highlights include:
Fixed Costs: Includes agency fees, medical and legal costs, and surrogate base compensation. There are no unexpected fees or cost increases during the process.
Unlimited Transfers: Covers multiple embryo transfers until a successful pregnancy is achieved.
Comprehensive Support: Includes expert guidance from our team throughout the surrogacy journey.
No Questions Asked Refund: If you use all your embryos, or donor-created embryos, and do not bring home a baby, you’ll receive a $100,000 refund
There are no surprise invoices or costs, even when you need to rematch with a new surrogate.
Journey Protection™ Program Costs & Payments
Our payment plan divides the cost of a surrogacy-only journey into the following two predictable, fixed-price payments:
First payment (at sign-on)
Surrogacy program agency fee*:
$41,500
Initial surrogate matching:
$5,000
Journey Protection™ Guarantee:
$10,000
Amount due:
$56,500
Second payment (at surrogate match)
Remaining expenses for surrogate matching:
$8,000
Surrogate legal, screening, and support:
$10,000
Surrogate base compensation (entry-level fee for 1st time surrogates in many states):
$48,000
Surrogate expenses at match:
$32,000
IP legal support (including GS representation):
$10,000
Insurance Expenses:
$25,000
Amount due:
$133,000
TOTAL COST FOR SURROGACY-ONLY JOURNEY $189,500
How to Finance Your Surrogacy Journey
Becoming a parent demands extensive preparation, and when it comes to surrogacy, financial preparation becomes even more important. It may take a few years for you to reach a place where you can comfortably afford to pursue it, but there are many ways you can streamline the process. Consider these options to cover your surrogacy costs:
Explore surrogacy financing: We partner with Sunfish, a specialist in third-party family building financing, to help intended parents find loan options and assess financial feasibility. Explore the different ways to cover surrogacy costs.
Share your story: Telling your family and friends about your plans gives them the opportunity to support you financially and emotionally.
Consider savings accounts: Even if you're still considering surrogacy, saving money as soon as possible can help you prepare for your next steps in life.
Make decisions with cost in mind: From choosing the right IVF clinic to adjusting your monthly budget, think about what you can do to save every time you spend money.
Investigate insurance options: Even if your existing medical insurance covers some IVF-related expenses, it may be worth shopping around to see if you can find better coverage elsewhere. By planning in advance, you can switch providers during the next open enrollment period.
Compare fertility clinics: Most fertility clinics offer a range of pricing options and packages, and every fertility clinic has a different payment model. It's all about choosing the right solution for you.
Keep your investment secure: Your search for the ideal surrogacy agency is not complete until you ensure they protect your money as if it were their own. At Circle, we keep escrow in-house to give you peace of mind.
Surrogacy Cost FAQs
Below are some common questions about surrogacy costs from intended parents. You can also read our full list of frequently asked questions about the general surrogacy process from intended parents.
We provide a $100,000 refund if you use all of your embryos, including donor-created embryos, and you do not bring a baby home. That said, since our Journey Protection™ Program covers failed embryo transfers and surrogate rematches at no extra cost, most intended parents never need to use the refund. In fact, 99.1% of our parents go home with a baby, 4,000+ and counting.
The $189,500 covers the costs related to your entire surrogacy journey, including:
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Surrogate base pay and pregnancy-related expenses
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Agency fees, which cover surrogate screening and matching, mental health support, and complete journey coordination
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Medical insurance for your surrogate and her pregnancy
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In-house escrow management and legal representation for intended parents
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Built-in protections, including unlimited embryo transfers, free surrogate rematches, and a $100,000 Journey Protection™ Guarantee
The costs not included in our fixed-cost program are IVF expenses, which you'll pay directly to your fertility clinic, and egg donor costs.
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Total surrogacy costs in the United States typically range from $100,000 to $200,000, depending on various factors. Most agencies provide estimates, and those initial numbers often increase as the journey progresses.
Unlike other agencies, we provide a transparent, fixed price that covers every aspect of the surrogacy experience except IVF and egg donor expenses, which vary depending on your personal circumstances, regardless of which agency you work with. Our Journey Protection™ Program eliminates surprises — one fixed program cost, no exclusions.
Regardless of where you live, the cost of surrogacy may vary. Our state surrogacy guide provides surrogacy cost information for people in the United States. While you’ll have other considerations if you live in another country, surrogacy costs are similar.
Your personal health insurance will not cover the cost of your surrogate's medical expenses. However, it might cover your surrogacy-related medical needs, like egg retrieval if you'll be providing eggs, depending on your insurance plan and state laws. Our program covers all of your surrogate's pregnancy, maternity, labor, and delivery costs — including any claims her insurance denies. Our team is happy to help you understand your own coverage options.
If you pursue an independent surrogacy, also known as a surrogacy without an agency's assistance, you may save between $20,000 and $40,000. All other costs associated with a surrogacy journey remain. Without an agency managing the process, however, surrogacy would involve an extensive time commitment for you. Your responsibilities would include coordinating and communicating with IVF clinics, local monitoring clinics, and hospitals. You would also be responsible for hiring lawyers to handle all the legal matters.
Yes — financing is available for surrogacy. We partner with Sunfish, a specialist in third-party family building finance, to help intended parents find loan options and assess financial feasibility.
If you know someone interested in being a surrogate for a friend or if you have a friend willing to be your surrogate, an agency may reduce surrogacy costs. How much you pay your friend could also impact your total costs. Your surrogate will still need to be screened to ensure she's a good candidate for surrogacy. Learn more about surrogacy costs with a friend.
Surrogates who carry twins or multiples receive a "multiples fee" paid over the last five months of their pregnancy.
The cost of your surrogacy may depend on factors such as:
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Whether you choose to work with an agency
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How agencies or fertility clinics charge you for certain treatments
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Your donation needs (egg, sperm, or both)
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If you have a surrogate or need to locate one
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We break your fixed price down into two payments. Intended parents should be prepared to pay some surrogate costs at sign-on, and the restonce they match with their surrogate.
The Journey Protection™ Program does more than fix your surrogacy cost — it also ensures we keep your funds secure through our in-houseescrow service. This security is a unique feature of our agency.
Intended parents are responsible for paying all surrogate costs, including legal fees.
No — our Journey Protection™ Program includes unlimited embryo transfers, meaning you will not pay anything extra to Circle if you needadditional transfers. That said, IVF costs are paid directly to your fertility clinic, so you will need to pay your clinic for each additional embryotransfer and related medications.
At Circle, we prioritize transparency, security, and success for intended parents. With over 30 years of experience as a surrogacy agency, our team ensures that every aspect of your journey is handled with care.
Learn More About Surrogacy Costs From a Team Who's Been There
The financial side of surrogacy raises a lot of questions — and our team, many of whom have been intended parents themselves, has heard them all. Reach out to us today or take the first step toward parenthood.